My sincerest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Ed Schultz. He was a great journalist. He sought to understand people as well as write about them. He stood side by side with unions and made it well known that the loss of unions paralleled the loss of the Middle Class. Sixty-three years old is too young to die.

As a fan for many years I am saddened by his passing.

I don’t really know where to start with Scott Pruitt. He had many complaints against him that violated  American laws regarding his spending, but, he is a human rights abuser. 

The fact the Secretary of the US EPA is a human rights abuser can’t be overlooked, but, the extent to which this occurred is more a statement about the inability of Congress to move effectively to protect the American people from such an appointee. 

Scott Pruitt has decades of reputation of attacking the US EPA and stating he has been very frustrated with losing his cases. Scott Pruitt carried on and on about environmental regulation as Attorney General of Oklahoma. Oklahoma is an environmental disaster area. That is not an exaggeration. Oklahoma scientists, including those who work for the state, are equally as frustrated.

Pruitt’s nomination was made out of hubris and hate for the science that is needed to tame fracking earthquakes, methane emissions, contaminated drinking water and the deaths of innocent people from  that contaminated drinking water. The enormity of the reality of Scott Pruitt has to be addressed.

In reflection on his paranoia and extravagant spending, including openly practiced corruption needs to be understood. How could such a professionally crippled man make it to nomination yet passed into the powers of the EPA.

The reality of him should be studied to realize where democracy failed the people that would become his victims. There is right and wrong in this world. How did wrong find a place of preeminence within a federal agency created to protect Americans?

Bill Shine, former Fox News Executive spent his time at work for 20 years cleaning up sexual harassment cases. Twenty years of hiding sexual harassment cases at FOX News qualifies Mr. Shine for a close adviser in communications to the President since his own attorney Mr. Cohen no longer works for him and has his own problems. 

Mr. Shine was hired to handle the affairs by Mr. Trump, but, primarily the issues with Ms. Clifford.

NATO spending needs to be increased.

In an article in “Newsweek,” Defense Secretary Mattis warned the U.K. its defense spending is too low. The response from Russia is that the warning from Mattis is based in “Made up threats.” (Fake News)  All of a sudden Russia is an expert on Fake News.

Europe is exposed with several right wing politicians elected into power while Ukraine and Crimea remain the focus of Russian aggression which borders Europe. Mattis is very correct; now is not the time for military budget cuts in Europe.

I also found the Russian expedient reply more than interesting. It is my view that Russia wants propaganda to be successful in minimizing Europe’s defenses in order to give Russia a real chance at invading Ukraine without opposition.

General Mattis’s words along with a French assessment of North Africa will bring any debate to a close. NATO needs to come to terms with the need to beef up it’s defenses and increase defense spending to achieve those goals.

Currently Ukraine is completing it’s readiness to become a worthy ally to the West. Ukrainians are more than adequate allies and Europe should embrace it’s new ally and friend. I am not only looking forward to new economic opportunities with Ukraine, but, the addition of real military clout to the region within Ukraine’s expertise and knowledge.

The Baltic’s and Poland are country’s worth noting as incursion points into Europe and any increase in military spending for NATO will serve to stabalize those borders. Increased spending in NATO has absolutely nothing to do with the Korean Peninsula’s ambition to end hostilities and be free of nuclear weapons. Kim Jong Un can still lead the efforts for peace going forward. Nothing changes.

As a matter of fact, the only concern currently regarding a destabilized region is the vascillations of Turkey. But, that is a separate issue. 

General Mattis needs to present his overview of NATO to the US Congress. In bringing testimony to Congress, General Mattis should bring his counter parts from other NATO allies to speak as well.

If Moscow is denying involvement with the poisonings in the U K, then how secure are Russian chemical and biological stores of these deadly agents?

Russian denial of involvement in terrorist incidence like this and the Russian meddling in Western elections is getting to be an international joke. It is amazing, there is no Russian involvement yet there are Russians of a shrinking diaspora committing crimes. When will Russia own the fact, at the very least, it’s citizens are killing internationally? An absence of investigation and justice implies permission of their actions. Just stating Russia was not involved is not good enough, Russia must be an active player in arresting and trying these criminals.